1 Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus Introduced and Translated by ...
1 Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus Introduced and Translated by ...
1 Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus Introduced and Translated by ...
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<strong>and</strong> killing my father Polybus, who raised me <strong>and</strong> gave me life<br />
Wouldn’t someone be right to say<br />
that this fate comes from a savage god<br />
O God, O God, <strong>by</strong> all that is holy, 830<br />
let me die now rather than live to see such a day!<br />
Banish me from the eyes of men<br />
before I commit such filthy crimes.<br />
CHORUS<br />
Yes, you describe horrible things to us,<br />
but until you hear what the witness has to say,<br />
keep up your hope.<br />
OEDIPUS<br />
My only hope now is for this shepherd to get here.<br />
JOCASTA<br />
When he does, what do you want from him<br />
OEDIPUS<br />
I’ll tell you: if he agrees with what you said, then I’m acquitted. 840<br />
What was it that I said<br />
JOCASTA<br />
OEDIPUS<br />
You said that the shepherd claimed robbers killed Laius.<br />
If he still says it was more than one,<br />
then I didn’t kill the king.<br />
One does not equal many.<br />
But if he says clearly it was one man alone,<br />
that weighs more against me.<br />
JOCASTA<br />
He said it was many, <strong>and</strong> he can’t say otherwise now,<br />
because the whole city heard him, not only me. 850<br />
Even if he changes his story now,<br />
he still can’t prove that the killing of Laius was as predicted,<br />
namely that my son did it.<br />
That poor child never killed him,<br />
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